


Purified Water

by Zuzanny



Category: Ronin Warriors
Genre: Amoral Sai, BAMF!Sai, Creepy stuff, Elemental Sai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 00:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13493223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zuzanny/pseuds/Zuzanny
Summary: Sai gets his feelings hurt and runs away from the other ronins. When he comes back he's a little... different.





	1. Chapter 1

Purified Water

This is my first RW/YST fic. Very likely to be OOC, and I also have not exactly decided what happened between them. YET! Any comments are welcome! Thanks for reading :) May 2000

 

By Zuzanny  
Part one:

***

Sai ran as fast as he could, pushing himself faster and harder until he thought his chest would explode. Tears started to pore down his cheeks, only adding to his desire to go harder, faster, stronger. /How could they do this to me?!/ He cried out soundlessly, trying to voice the anguish he felt. They had just ripped his heart out and laughed as they showed it, still pumping, to him.

/They may say I'm weaker, but I'll show them. I'll become strong and hard, then no one can rip my heart out again. But first, STOP CRYING!! STOP CRYING YOU WEAKLING! HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO GET STRONGER IF YOU CRY ALL THE TIME? STOP IT!!/ He slowed his run to slap himself across the face. /That hurt? No? Well, here's another one./

*SLAP!*

/And another!/

*SLAP!*

/And another!/

*SLAP!*

/AND ANOTHER!/

*SLAP!*

/Hurt yet? Well you deserved it, you useless weakling. You're pathetic./

He stubbornly wiped the tears from his eyes and for the first time looked around at his surroundings. He was standing before an awfully bad smelling lagoon that was covered in slime and algae. Around the lagoon was a small area of grass, then thick forest. Sai realized he was lost. He laughed at the irony of the situation and stepped up to the murky liquid to kneel in the mud and look at his reflection. The slight breeze was enough to distort his image into a swirling mass. He grit his teeth, and with his simple will, the surface solidified like perfect glass. Bright green eyes, tinged with red from tears looked back at him through the face of a pale boy with red/brown hair. He sniffed, and wiped his nose on his hand, the released the water with exasperation. He sat back against a tree, head bowed, knees up, arms dangling loosely by his sides.

"Why am I so bothered by this?" He asked out loud. "After all that has happened, why should something like this upset me?" He looked up through the tall trees branches into the evening sky. Stars were just beginning to come out. It had been hours since he had fled their cruelty. The tops of the trees swayed and swirled in the breeze. "This is just more proof of how much weaker I am compared to them. Just one reason out of thousands for them to show me contempt. So why should I be bothered?"

"Because they are supposed to be your friends." Came a smooth, watery voice from in front of him. "BECAUSE they are your comrades in arms." Sai raised his head and saw a figure standing in the center of the pond. ON the center of the pond. He blinked. The figure was vaguely humanoid in as much as it was shaped like one, but this looked like it was a person made out of water. Dirty, stinking, putrid water, but water none the less. It moved forward, closer to him. Not walking, but floating almost. Flowing like a wave does. The water it was made of rippled as it approached, and he saw that the closer it came, the circulation of water purified the muck out of the body, until when it was standing right before him it was a pure being. Like glass or ice, but flowing still. The movement inside it was like a waterfall, and where it met the surface of the lagoon was where the water hit. It bent down to his level. Human shaped, but no colored eyes. Just smooth edges like a stone carving.

It continued speaking. "They are supposed to be your friends, and yet they delight in hurting you. You have every right to be upset."

"Who are you?" Sai asked slowly. He was not scared, just curious.

The thing seemed to smile. "No one. Just a figment of your imagination."

"Am I hallucinating then?" /Now I'm not only weak, but I'm seeing things too. No wonder they hate me./

"No." It replied softly. "You are just dreaming. You have been running for so long, that your mind has just shut down for a while. Just relax now, and sleep. If they are really your friends, then they will come out and look for you. If they don't. Well, just rest and find out in the morning."

Sai blinked. His eyes were sore, and his head ached now that he thought about it. "Oh. Okay." He yawned and curled up at the base of the tree, falling into a sleep so deep that he could not hear the four voices of his friends calling his name.

*************

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Purified Water

 

By Zuzanny!  
Part Two:

***

When the water-figure was satisfied that Sai was deeply asleep, it bent down and lightly ran its hand through his hair and down his face. Sai murmured something, and tilted his head in a similar way that a cat would when wanting more of a scratch. The water-figure smiled slightly and obliged with affection. A smile split across Sai's lips.

"Sai?" Came a distant call. The water-figure looked up at the sound

"SAI!" Another voice yelled urgently.

Sai grimaced, shifting in his sleep. The water-figure looked slightly annoyed. They were not supposed to come looking so soon! They were supposed to give it time to help him rest! Look at him! See the distress he felt just from hearing their distant voices?

It made up it's mind to give him all the time he needed. It bent down again and blew into Sai's ear. A cold mist snaked from it's mouth across the small distance between it and him, and drifted into his ear. Sai shifted a bit more, looking about ready to wake.

"Open your eyes." It spoke gently.

Sai's eyes opened half way.

"Come with me." It floated back towards the center of the lagoon, arms out to him expectantly. Sai nodded dreamily and slowly climbed to his feet, never taking his hooded eyes off the figure. The world around him was hidden within a fog that had suddenly appeared, and was made eerie by the echo of calling voices. Voices that he could hear, but not comprehend. There was only one he could understand, and that was from the water-figure calling him closer. His breath and pulse were loud in his ears as he placed one foot in front of the other and stepped towards the lagoon.

The grass beneath his shoes gave way to muddy gravel, then to mud, then to sludgy water. He gasped slightly as he felt cool wetness seep through his shoes. Another step and water flowed over his feet. Another step and the soft pressure of the water flowed up against his legs, raising further up his legs and body the deeper he stepped. His hands hung loosely by his sides, floating slightly as the water pushed them up from his body.

It was nice to be able to wade into his element like this. The water was cold, but not so bad that it was uncomfortable. The water-figure was smiling to him in a friendly way, lowering it's self into the water so it was below his eye level. He looked down at it's eyes, returning it's smile.

The voices were getting louder, but he still could not understand them. They were just noises to his ears, similar to a birds song maybe, but nothing understandable. They were unimportant any way.

The water-figure extended a hand to him and he clasped it easily, trusting completely. It pulled him forward, so now he was swimming with it, shoulders under the water, and ends of his hair dripping. Sai could feel it pressed against his chest and body like a solid thing, and laughed quietly, letting it draw him close with it's arms around his waist.

The voices were growing louder. So much so that one of them sounded only a small distance away. Maybe just back behind the trees, but that was unimportant. The water-figure pressed it's forehead against his and they sank beneath the surface leaving not so much as a ripple behind.

***  
Ryo abruptly stopped running when he almost tripped into a large lagoon of sludgy off water, arms wind milling until he caught his balance. He recoiled at the wafting smell with disgust, and surveyed his surroundings. A thin mist hung amongst the trees, giving everything a dreary dead look. The leaves of the trees closest to the lagoon were an ugly yellow, the only real color to the place. Strange stick-like weeds grew in clumps in the mud. There were no sounds except three voices calling for their lost friend and the wind as it moaned through the trees.

Ryo shivered, clutching his arms around his chest. He should never have yelled at Sai. Not like that. Not over THAT. Neither should have the others. It was his own fault. HE stopped Rowan from chasing after Sai when he wanted too, and God only knows where Sai had gotten too now. Sai had locked them out of his mind the moment he had ran through the door, leaving only emptiness. An emptiness that had just grown more so. Ryo did not like emptiness. Especially not this kind.

Something caught in his peripheral vision. On the ground just near his feet. Foot prints leading into the water. Track marks that he recognized from Sai's shoes. He followed them with his eyes into the depths of the horrid blackness, feeling panic grow. There were no footprints leading out again.

/Oh no. Oh no. no no no... /

"GUYS!!" He shrieked.

**************

to be continued....


	3. Chapter 3

by Zuzanny  
Part 3

***

There were definitely no tracks leading out of the water.

"No." Rowan insisted, shaking his head and stepping away from the others. "No." He repeated. "Sai wouldn't do something like that."

"Rowan," Ryo tried to console his friend.

"No! I'm not going to believe it!"

Seiji grabbed Rowan's shoulder, span him, then slapped his face. "You're getting hysterical."

Rowan glared at all of them. "I AM NOT! Sai's not stupid! He knows how important he is to saving the world! How important he is to us! He would NOT do THAT!"

"At least he *would* have known how important he is to us," Kento murmured. "If we hadn't always been acting like total jerks. I know if you guys all decided to constantly take big chunks out of me, I'd sure feel pretty damn unimportant."

They were all quiet. Rowan paced nervously.

"What if he really couldn't take it any more?" Ryo asked quietly, eyes wide, looking towards the lagoon. "What if he really did-"

"He's not dead okay!" Rowan insisted angrily. "I know it!"

"How would you know it, hmmm?" Ryo snapped. "As soon as he left the manor the link was cut!"

Rowan glared back accusingly. "Maybe from you, which I really don't blame him for, but not from me. Not completely. I know he's alive. I know he's here somewhere. And if he's alive then we can't give up!"

"And if he really is in *there*" Seiji started to undress. "we need to get him out." Rowan was quicker than him and was wading out into the inky liquid still fully clothed.

"I'll look, since I can still sense him."

"Be careful!" Ryo called out.

Rowan swallowed his fear and revulsion, and ducked under, feeling around with his hands. The water was thick and almost jelly-like. Heavily polluted. The mud at the bottom was soft and slimy. He fought back the nausea he felt. He came up for air spluttering and gasping.

He dived several times, making his way back and forth in zigzagging lines. Once in the center, he broke surface again turning to look back at the others, and spitting out the revolting... fluid... that had found its way into his mouth.

"This is really weird." He called back.

"Why?" Kento called back. "What have you found?"

"I don't think he is in here."

"Dear God, I sure hope not." Kento breathed.

"Why is that?" Seiji called out.

"Because..." Rowan stood. At the center of the lagoon the water only came up to his chest. "I can stand."

"Get out of there before that water makes you sick." Ryo ordered. Rowan nodded and dragged himself out. He stood in the edge of the water and looked back towards the center.

/I can feel you out there, Sai. Please come back to us. Please come back to me.../ The wind blew and he paused. He thought he heard someone whisper his name, but then, like the wind, it was gone. He wiped and shook off the slop that coated his skin in distaste, then marched back towards the manor. "I'm taking a shower." He disappeared from their view.

"Where the hell could he have gotten to?" Kento asked the forest when Rowan was out of earshot.

"Most likely he is already back at the manor, laughing at us for worrying over him." Seiji answered him. "Especially after-"

"Yes." Ryo interrupted. "Let's go back home. And if he's not back in an hour we can call in some extras to help search."

***  
When they arrived home, Sai was not there. All of his things were still there, even his little blue armor orb, but no Sai.

They called the police to help search, but even after a long search through the forest, nothing turned up. The only evidence they really had that he had even been out in the forest was his foot prints in the mud. They knew they were fresh from that day because of the rain that morning.

A day passed with still no sign. They had called Sai's family, and no one there had heard anything from him. The police still searched.

Ryo stayed beside the phone, desperately hoping for some word. Any word, as long as he knew... Dear God, he was such an idiot for being so harsh with Sai! He would give just about anything to have the chance to apologize.

Kento stopped eating, he just stared blankly at the TV screen trying to ignore the anger and fear he felt.

Seiji locked himself in his room and meditated.

Rowan paced about the lounge room, arms drawn tightly around himself shivering. It was so cold in here! He had washed the foul stuff from his skin, but he could still taste it and smell it.

/Where is he?/ He thought. /Why hasn't he made any contact? I know he's still alive and out there some where, I just can't place it. Why? Why? WHY?/ Rowan squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold in the tears. /Don't cry. Not yet. He's not dead so there's no reason to cry. Sai's not stupid. He'll be okay. I just wish he would let me know that he IS okay. I feel so helpless!/

A week passed and still nothing.

Ryo had locked himself in his room and refused food.

Kento paced the lounge room.

Seiji was sitting at the table, trying to catch up on what study he had missed over the last few days. O_o

Rowan sat shivering, wrapped in a blanket, curled up in the corner of the couch watching Kento pace back and forth.

"Where the HELL IS HE!!!" Kento burst out. "Man! This is driving me CRAZY!!"

"Look on the bright side, we know he's not dead. His orb would have gone to find a new wearer if it was so." That was Seiji.

"And you call that the bright side?!" Kento shrieked. "What if he was captured by the Warlords? Ever thought of that?!"

"They would have come gloating by now. Which they have not. We can always hope that he has just decided to take a break from our crap. I know he sure deserved one."

"Some break!" Kento growled. "If only we hadn't been so-"

"There are always 'if only's' Kento." Seiji interupted. "We don't live there though. We live in the right now. We have to deal with this in the now, not in the 'if only'."

Rowan's teeth started chattering. Quite loudly actually. He was surprised. So were Kento and Seiji. They looked over at him.

"I just can't get warm." He whispered to no one through blue lips. "It's so cold. Ryo should get down here and start a fire or something."

Kento started mumbling something about Ryo that was not at all nice, but could not be heard. Seiji watched Rowan with concerned eyes.

"I'm going to have another shower." Rowan announced, attempting to stand up. Unfortunately as the world around him dimmed into swirling blackness and he began to float around, he didn't go very far.

Kento caught Rowan as he fainted. It was only then that he noticed his friend's fever. /Shit./ He thought lowering him back to the couch, Seiji right there helping him. /This is what happens when Sai disappears on us. We can't do anything. We can't even look after ourselves! Sai, come home soon!/

Seiji used his armor to try to heal Rowan, and was able to put him to sleep and bring his temperature close to normal, but not completely. He and Kento piled blankets on top of him. He left Kento there to look after him, then went up stairs to get Ryo. Ryo was going to come down stairs even if he had to knock him out and carry him over his shoulder. Seiji dearly hoped it would not come to that.

Seiji knocked on Ryo's bedroom door then let himself in. Ryo sat on his bed staring at the opposite wall, tears streaming down his face. He looked up at Seiji with large, miserable eyes.

"It's my fault, Seiji. It's my fault. I drove him to leave. Now I may never see him again! I can't even apologize!"

Seiji growled to himself. "It's not just your fault. We also had a hand in it. I know you being the leader means you can go on guilt trips when ever anything happens to any of us, but come on. Pull yourself together!"

Ryo stared at him like he had just become a giant pink bunny.

"Rowan's sick." Seiji announced in his tactful way.

Ryo stared some more.

Seiji grabbed his arm and dragged him to his feet. "Come on. You're the one who controls fire, and he needs some heat." Seiji ignored his leaders protests and virtually carried him down to the lounge room.

Rowan did not look like he was having a nice dream.

to be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

by Zuzanny  
Part 4

***

Mist surrounded everything. It snaked lazily around all the trees, and hovered over the water. The perfectly smooth surface reflected the night sky through the mist like a mirror.

A bubble floated up from the depths in the center, sending rings rippling out to the edge. This was followed by another. Then more, and several more. Something was rising from the lagoon floor, its silhouette could be seen in the moonlight.

Slowly the top of a red/brown haired head could be seen breaking the surface, rising more until the water gently lapped at the pale face, just below the closed eyes. The liquid slid from the head like a live thing, leaving it completely dry.

Cold green-blue eyes snapped open, fixing Rowan with an icy blast.

***  
"SAAAAAAI!" Rowan woke screaming. He found himself panting in the dark lounge room. Outside it was raining, but inside was warmth. The fire was blazing, radiating heat, and lighting the couch with a flickering red light. He ran a shaky hand through his tousled hair and tried to steady his breathing. Instantly Ryo, Seiji and Kento were there beside him.

"What is it?" Ryo demanded fearfully.

"Are you okay?" Kento asked.

"What did you see?" Seiji inquired.

Rowan took in a deep breath. "The lagoon. He's in the lagoon. I know it. I don't know how we could have missed it, but he's there." He made to get up, but three sets of hands stopped him. "Wha? I gotta go see!"

"No." Ryo said firmly. "You're still sick. I'll go see."

"But Ryo-"

"Rowan, I said I'll go see. Now you get back to sleep. I'll be back when I can." He went to the door, putting on his coat and boots.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Seiji asked from his side.

Ryo gave him an uncertain smile. "No. But I'm the one who screwed every thing up, so I should be the one to fix it."

"Be careful." Seiji said, handing him a torch. Ryo nodded, clasped his friends hand, then slipped out into the rain.

***  
It took Ryo about half an hour to drive to the lagoon. By the time he had arrived there the rain had stopped and a faint mist coated the ground. He left the headlights on, to light up a path to the lagoon. No way he wanted to end up falling in at this time of night. Especially with the way Rowan had smelled after his little dip. Ryo stepped out of the car, pulled the jacket around himself, and trudged towards the black pool. The torch made it easier to avoid the clumps of weeds that were either trampled by past human activities, or sticking up. All of which wanted to trip him up.

"Hello Ryo." Came a quite, calm British voice that he recognized. Startled he span and shone his torch in the face of his missing friend who was standing, looking down into the pool before him.

"SAI!" He breathed in relief and ran towards him. "You scared me half to death! Where the hell have you been? We've been searching all over!"

"I've been right here." Came the quiet-calm reply without him even looking up. Ryo shook his head, a sudden anger flaring through him.

"What the hell are you talking about?! We searched this place for days and found nothing! Where were you really?"

"I told you already. I have been right here."

"But... we looked..." Ryo stepped forward. "Sai?"

Sai looked up, fixing him with stern look. It was intimidating in every un-Sai-like way. "Yes?"

"Are... you okay?"

"Of course I am, Ryo."

"We've been really freaking out. When we saw your foot prints in the mud all those days ago we thought..."

"Thought what, Ryo?" A faintly amused smile appeared on Sai's face as he moved in close to Ryo with one liquid swagger.

Ryo was suddenly scared. Sai's expression was never that bland, and his voice held a dangerous edge to it. It was similar to how a really angry parent might not yell, but would hiss their disapproval. Ryo took in a shaky breath as Sai started to circle him.

"Did you think I would drown myself? That your harsh words would drive me to suicide? Is that what you thought?" Sai leaned back on a fallen tree, expecting an answer.

"I didn't know what to think, but yeah, when I saw your foot prints that did cross my mind."

Sai laughed shortly then shook his head. "I always knew you though so little of me."

"I don't Sai, really!" Ryo found himself almost pleading. "It's just that you're so-"

Sai stood suddenly. "So what? Weak? Emotional? Soft? Those were your words."

Ryo tried to gather his thoughts. "That's not what I meant. You're more like tender hearted, and I'm a real idiot. I said some stupid things that were really cruel, even though I knew that you would take them to heart. I'm sorry! I can't believe I ever hurt you like I did, I never want to do it again."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Sai waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Since I no longer have a heart, I can't be hurt by you ripping it out again." He smiled lazily. Or it would have been a smile if it reached his eyes. They stayed cold and impassive. "Can I?"

Ryo just stared at him in horror. "Oh Sai, I'm sorry. I'm SO SORRY! Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive. I'm stronger now, and that's all thanks to you." He walked past Ryo, back towards the manor through the forest. He paused, looking over his shoulder.

"Come on Ryo. If you stay out too long the others will start to worry. They may even begin to think you couldn't take it any more and ended your own life." He started walking again. "Although we all know how important you are to saving the world. Don't we. Dear, dear Ryo."

Ryo shuddered, although it might not have been from the cold. "Why are you walking?" He called out. "I have the car."

"The battery is dead." Came the faint reply.

"But-" At that moment the headlights failed. Ryo stiffened. He was all alone. He listened to the sounds of the night. There was a faint pattering sound as remaining droplets dripped from leaf to leaf, frogs croaked, but there were no other sounds. Not even the wind. Sai's movements were silent...

/like... a ghost.../ Ryo shivered again, then quick as he could made his way through the forest to home.

to be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Purified Water

June 2000 (Normal disclaimers -which I keep forgetting to put in- apply. Please don't think that any of these characters are mine. They're not. I'm just borrowing them for a while.)

 

by Zuzanny  
Part 5

***

At first all he could understand was cold. He was cold. So cold. Freezing cold. Beyond shivering cold. Cold and tired. He could feel the heat of the fire beside him and the fabric of the blankets around him- which he thought was not something that he should feel considering how cold he was, and the fact that he couldn't absorb any of that heat. How could one possibly get colder when surrounded by so much heat? It didn't make much sense in his mind, and that really, really irritated him.

They were talking excitedly. Their voices buzzed and bounced off the wall, distorting in his ears. He had no idea what it was that they were talking about, but he didn't really care either. He pulled the blankets around himself tighter in a desperate attempt to draw in the heat, but it didn't seem to be working.

Burning heat, similar to really hot bath water, or warm toast, or hot cocoa pressed against his forehead making him gasp. He leaned into it hungrily. He needed that heat more than anything right now. He wanted more. A strange tingly sensation spread from the heat over his skin, seeping into his bones, flowing through out his body from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

Then the cold seemed to be sucked out of him through the heat. It was actually an interesting experience. Very difficult to describe in any other way than that he could feel the cold leave his body. He began to shiver as the ice that had gripped his soul melted and evaporated, then the shivering was no longer even a point to think about since the cold was replaced by comfortable warmth. He relaxed into the soft blankets, and sighed as the heat was taken away from his forehead. Slowly he opened his eyes.

His missing friend greeted his sight with a small smile.

"Sai?" Rowan asked his sleepy voice a little croaky. "You're back. I knew you would come back. I missed you buddy."

"I know, Ro." The soft voice replied.

"What happened to you? We were all out looking for you and-"

"Nothing happened to me." Sai insisted gently. "You just rest now, okay?"

Rowan nodded and rolled over, snoring almost immediately. Sai watched him sleep for a few moments then briefly looked at the others who were watching him with open mouths. He was holding a small ball of black goo in his palm. It had gathered there when he had placed his other hand on Rowan. Now as they watched, the goo began to shrink and steam, until it shriveled down into a hard rock-like substance. Black and shinny. Sai put it on the mantle above the fire.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" He asked quietly, slowly turning to face them with cold eyes.

"W-we had no idea you could do... things... like that!" Kento stuttered, hand behind his head. Sai smiled his new found slight smile and silently sauntered over to them.

"There are lots of things you don't know about me."

Ryo shuddered.

Seiji checked Rowan's condition. "His temperature is completely back to normal! What ever you did to him worked."

"Good." Suddenly Sai was almost cheerful. "Any one for pancakes? Especially since the sun is now officially up?"

"Sure!" Kento whooped. "Man, no one can cook anywhere near as good as you Sai! You're the best! Seiji tried, but well..." He laughed at the memory. "Let's just say that it was no competition."

"Really." Sai considered Seiji with a raised eye brow.

"Yes." Seiji replied. "I must admit that while you were... away... we ate out."

"When we ate." Kento added following Sai into the kitchen, continuing to babble excitedly.

Ryo stayed with Seiji in the lounge room, waiting until they were out of hearing range.

"Did he say where he was?" Seiji whispered.

"No. Not really. He said he was always at the lagoon. When I questioned him..." Ryo gave a cautious glance towards the kitchen.

"Yes?"

"He... He got all creepy. Not like Sai at all. I think I really hurt him bad Seiji and he's trying really hard to cover it up. He says that there's nothing to forgive, but I can't help feel... I don't know. Intimidated? All of a sudden."

"It's his eyes." Seiji announced.

Ryo slowly nodded. "Yeah. I expected to see anger or hurt or ANYTHING in his eyes when I found him there, but instead all I saw was nothing. I still see nothing. It isn't right. Has he opened the link back up to you yet?" Seiji shook his head. "Me neither. I don't like it."

"After breakfast I'll go talk to him. I'll see if I can get him to open up and vent to me. Okay?" Ryo nodded absently. "Anyway, come eat! You haven't eaten for almost a week. No wonder you are feeling down."

***  
Breakfast went by completely normal. Well, mostly normal.

Kento ate as much as he could, while chattering about how good a cook Sai was. It was hard not to marvel at his ability to inhale food and talk at the same time. It made you wonder where he really did his talking from...

Seiji had a few pancakes on his plate but mainly sat in stunned silence, watching Kento from behind his cup of tea.

Rowan had risen from the couch at the smell of cooking and was eating almost as much as Kento, although he paused to breath and speak.

Ryo ate slowly, keeping his eyes on Sai who was sitting across the table from him. From the looks of things one would suspect that Sai had never eaten pancakes before. Sai's eyes widened with wonder as he poured the syrup, watching the thick golden-brown liquid flow from the jug to the plate, streaming over the pile he had there, and pooling on the white plate. Without putting the jug down, he lifted his other hand and dribbled the syrup over his extended fingers. He set the jug down, and watched it all slowly drain down his fingers, dribbling slightly down his wrist, to finally drip onto his plate. Ryo watched as Sai brought his hand to his mouth and slowly began to lick the inside of his index finger. Pink tongue lapping at the substance from palm to tip, curling around the under side. He licked and sucked hungrily, making small noises, until that finger was clean, then he gave the next finger the same treatment. Then the next, until all four fingers were clean. Then he slowly sliced up his pancakes and ate thoughtfully.

Ryo was frozen wide eyed. He had never seen Sai eat like that. Looking around he noticed that obviously the others had not either. They were also frozen watching Sai do that with pancakes hanging from their forks and mouths.

Without even looking at them Sai asked, "Is something wrong with the pancakes?"

Abruptly they all said various "no, they're great!" 's then went back to shoveling their mouths full. All never taking their eyes completely off Sai as he continued to eat slowly.

After breakfast Ryo volunteered to wash the dishes and Kento to dry. Rowan went back to sleep on the couch.

Seiji invited Sai out to spar with him, to which Sai smiled slightly and agreed. Out in the yard they readied their weapons, Seiji with is sword and Sai with his staff. They bowed, then started to circle each other. Seiji attacked, Sai blocked. They circled again. Strikes flew back and forth. Seiji was surprised that he was not able to land any of his blows, and that Sai was only defending. They circled again.

"Are you still angry with us, Sai?" Seiji asked while they were circling.

Sai just gave him a blank look. "Why would I be angry?"

Seiji attacked again, Sai blocked easily. "Because of the stupid things we said before."

"Again, why would I be angry? You were only telling the truth, and without the truth I would never have grown stronger."

"How are you stronger?" Seiji thrust his sword, but Sai blocked and struck him instead. Seiji backed off, startled.

Sai just smiled, tilting his head slightly, then attacked. Like lightning, he hit every opening Seiji had, and even broke through Seiji's defense. Sai span, knocked the sword from his hand, then tripped him up all in one move. Seiji suddenly found himself on the ground and sat up to find the end of a staff at his throat. It was over in seconds.

/He HAS grown stronger!/ Seiji thought, lying in stunned silence, panting and looking up at the satisfied smirk on the face above him. Sai relaxed the staff and helped him up, not even slightly exerted.

"That was a good. Shall we go again?" Sai asked. Seiji nodded straightened himself up in a dignified manner, then moved to pick up his sword from a good distance away. "Next time, don't let your guard down. I don't want to think you are being easy on me."

/Don't go easy on him he says./ Seiji thought. /Don't let your guard down he says. If that's what he wants, than that's what he'll get!/

Ryo and Kento watched from the kitchen window as Sai defeated Seiji again and again and again, all without taking a single hit to himself. Finally Seiji limped back inside, trying to stay dignified, but failing. Still out in the yard holding his staff across himself, Sai looked up coldly, directly at Ryo. Ryo stepped back in a split second of spine tingling fright.

The look Sai gave him told him he was next.

to be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Purified Water

June 2000 (Normal disclaimers -which I keep forgeting to put in- apply. Please don't think that any of these characters are mine. They're not. I'm just borrowing them for a while.)

 

by Zuzanny  
Part 6

***

"Ryo?"

Ryo jumped at the sound of that soft voice, but he covered his surprise with a smile. "Hey Sai. How are you?" He patted the step on the back varanda next to him. Sai sat where he was directed and stared off into the distance.

"I've been thinking." He started.

"Yeah?"

Sai paused, tilting his head slightly like he was listening to something off in the distance.

"Sai?"

"..."

"Sai?" Ryo was getting concerned. He waved his hand infront of Sai's face. "Hello-o?" Slowly, ever so slowly, Sai turned his head to look at Ryo. His eyes were wide, but he still wore that bland expression. Ryo was speechless. Finally Sai spoke.

"If I were to defeat a warlord, would you want him brought to you alive for questioning, or dead?"

Ryo was not exactly sure what to say. Sai's expression told him that he was being perfectly serious. "...Alive." He decided.

"Okay." Sai shrugged looking a little disappointed. "I'll remember that." He stood to leave. Ryo caught his wrist causing him to look back at him.

"Wait a second..." Ryo's eyes narrowed as he quietly asked: "Why are you asking me this? What are you planning?"

Sai gave him a smile of complete innocence. "My, whatever do you mean?"

"It's not like you to ask these kind of questions."

Sai laughed shortly and pulled his hand away. "Dear Ryo. How would you know what is like me or not when you never make any attempt to get to know me in the first place?"

"Look, I'm sorry about that okay. I just want to know if you are going to try to do something to prove yourself to me. Because you don't have to. Over the last few days we all came to really appreciate you and every thing you have done for us. We never realized how important you are to us until you were gone, and that's OUR fault not yours. I sure as hell don't want to have to lose you again."

"Oh... I never knew you cared."

"That's part of the problem, Sai. I DO care. We all care. And I don't want the stupid things I said to drive you into danger, okay? You are too important to us."

Sai smiled and patted Ryo's head. "Don't worry about me, great leader." He moved away again. "Oh yeah. Where would you want the Warlord taken... Theoretically."

Ryo eyed the red head, feeling slightly irritated that he had just opened up in an attempt to make things right, only to be ignored. And he *knew* he was being ignored. In one ear and out the other. He tried to swallow his anger, not wanting to drive his friend away again. "I'm not sure. I'll have to think about it."

Sai shrugged noncommittally, and walked away.

"Sai!"

"Uh-yes?" He looked back over his shoulder.

"Where are you going now?"

A broad smile spread over his face. "The lake. See ya Ryo."

***  
A set of beady eyes watched from the shadows of the trees as Sai walked down the peer and sat on the end of it. A dangerous smile spread across lips of the owner of those eyes as Sai dived into the water fully clothed. Silent as a snake on a hunt, the owner of the eyes slipped through the foliage and made his way closer to the lake. He watched Sai swim around and round, basking in his element, hair slicked back looking almost dark brown from the wetness, and clothes clinging to his slender frame as he swam free style.

/Well, well, well.../ Came the thought. /Torrent is once again...ALONE... What an interesting situation.../ The owner of the eyes licked his lips in anticipation, eyes never leaving the swimmer. The rest of the beady eyed mans body was poised, ready to spring into action the split second his mind told it to move. /Come to me, Torrent. Come to me, and we'll see how long you can hold your breath under water... With my hands clasped around your throat!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!/

He imagined clamping his large hands around the slender red head's warm throat and forcing his head under the freezing water, while kneeling on his chest. The pulse under his fingers would be fast and urgent. Limbs flying about, frantically trying to get free, but too weak from what ever beating he had received previously to be effective. Bubbles stream from his nose and mouth as his screams attempt to reach his ears. Eyes wide with terror as he realized that this time his element would not save him. In fact his element would kill him. He wanted to see that look in Torrent's eyes more than anything. That realization that he was going to die, and there was nothing he or anyone else could do about it. /Mmmmm... Yes.../ He felt himself suddenly aroused by that thought. /Or...Maybe I will kill him after I have finished torturing him in OTHER ways... heh heh heh.../

***  
Unbeknownst to that particular Warlord, Sai was watching that very spot from the corner of his eye, and was also smiling dangerously. He ducked under the water not leaving a single ripple behind to tell of his existence.

***  
The beady eyed Warlord swore to himself. /Damn it! I've lost him!/ He leaned forward through the bushes in an attempt to see. He scanned the top of the water and the shoreline, but could find no trace of his target. He growled to himself and rose to his feet, eyes still flicking around for any movement, and not finding any. /Where the hell is he! He can't possibly hold his breath for this long. Can he?/ He was so intent upon the search that he did not notice the figure slowly rising up through the ground like there was nothing there at all, a small distance behind him.

"Hello, Sekhmet." Came the perfectly calm British voice that caused the Warlord to spin.

"Torrent!" He growled falling into a defensive stance. The teen standing there just regarded him coldly, still dressed only in the clothes he had dived into the lake in. Sekhmet noticed that he was also perfectly dry now.

A wicked smile spread across the red head's lips. "I've been waiting for you."

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

Purified Water  
Part 7  
****  
Rowan was cleaning up the lounge room since he was no longer ill enough to sleep on the couch without being disturbed by one of the others wanting to watch TV or talk to him. He had folded and stacked all the blankets away and decided to sit down and watch the sports channel. Good old sports channel. Always there when he needed it. yay, ice hockey.

That was about when he noticed the shrivled black shinny little thing above the mantle place. He sat looking at it from where he was for a few moments, puzzled as to why it would have caught his attention in the first place, then where it came from in the second. He had never noticed it before. When did it get there? Could not have been more than a day. He rubbed his face with his hands. This was distracting him from the ice hockey, damn it!! He stood and picked it up. It was icy in his palm, about the size of his thumb nail, so he let it drop back to the mantle. it made a noise when it hit the wood. Just like an ordinary pebble would. For some reason he knew it was wrong. This was not an ordinary pebble, therefore it should not sound like one.

Kento chose that moment to parade down the stairs declaring to the world in song that he was going to eat.

"Kento?" Rowan caught his attention.

"Yeah?" He wandered up to him. "how'ya feeling this bright and sunny day?"

Rowan shrugged. "Fine. I was wondering if you knew what this was?" He pointed to the black 'rock'. "I don't know why I've never seen it before, that's all."

Kento looked at it blankly for a few moments. "Oh yeah!" He said finally. "That was that funky thing that seeped out of Sai's palm when he first came back and touched your head. Then you got better. It was really cool to watch! First it started off like a blob of goo, then it started to steam and shrink into that!"

Rowan gave him a look that suggested he needed psychiatric treatment. "This. It's a rock."

"It's true! Just ask Sai!" He looked around. "Where is he any way? I was going to get him to make me some lunch."

"Maybe he is still sparing with Seiji?" Rowan suggested.

"Naah. They finished ages ago. Seiji's upstairs now nursing his wounded pride." He snickered at that.

"what happened?!"

"You should have seen it! Sai beat the crap out of him with out Seiji even getting one touch on him." Rowan was aghast, the hockey game forgotten now.

Suddenly Rowan was filled with an urgent need to find Sai. "Where is he now?!" He demanded, grabbing Kento's shirt, dragging their faces in close together. Kento was shocked, and just mutely pointed out the back door. Rowan was by the door and pulling his shoes on in seconds.

"What's wrong?" Kento asked well and truly concerned. He knew that Rowan was the only one Sai still chose to share his link with, and was ready to go full battle armor if Rowan said the word.

Rowan paused, uncertainty obvious on his face. "...Nothing." He said. "I just... I don't know. I just need to see him."

"If you're looking for Sai, he's down at the lake." That was Ryo just coming in through the door.

"Thanks." Rowan said slipping past and out.

***  
"So you were waiting for me, were you Torrent?" Sekhmet asked casually approaching the still figure. "Waiting for me to kill you!" He threw his hands around Sai's throat with an angry growl and squeezed. It irritated him that Sai made no move to stop him, and in fact, did not seem phased at all. Sai just looked up at him with perfectly calm eyes, and an amused smile. His pulse did not even quicken one beat under Sekhmet's fingers. When Sai refused to react to the fact that he was being strangled, Sekhmet swang him around and slammed his back against a tree hard enough to cause it to shake and topple branches and leaves onto them. Sai's eyes shuttered slightly at that, but he still remained calm.

"Well... Are you going to kill me or what?" Sai asked casually. Sekhmet stared at him open mouthed. "No? Well that means it's my turn to... play." He reached up with one hand, grasped Sekhmet's wrist, and easily pulled himself free from the larger man's grasp. Sekhmet growled at himself for not being able keep his hands where he wanted them, struggling to reach back at Torrent's throat. Sai calmly raised a palm at Sekhmet's chest level. Sekhmet was barely able to register the faint blue glow in the teenager's eyes before the air before him exploded invisibly and he was flung back with such force that he crashed through several tree trunks, tumbled along the ground, and skidded- leaving a trench behind him- before dropping ungracefully into the lake with a loud "SPLUSH!"

It was rather shocking to be standing one second, then have one's head immersed in water the next. Fairly cold water too. For a few seconds he was too dazed to do any thing. Then the wet coldness seeped into his awareness, and he began to struggle to break the surface for air. For some reason he couldn't seem to reach the air. Suddenly strong hands grabbed him by the front and dragged him out, face close to a smirking Torrent. Sekhmet gasped urgently for air, pain radiating through his body as Sai dragged him from the water onto the bank, then dropped him.

"Tell me, Warlord..." Sai asked quietly, kneeling at Sekhmet's side. "Is there any reason you can give me why I should let you live?"

Sekhmet's eyes widened with a split second of panic, but then narrowed dangerously. Slowly, so not to bring attention to himself, he slid his arm down his side to grip his sword. he lashed out with his blade...

...Only to meet nothing. Torrent wasn't there. Sekhmet jumped to his feet (although shakily), and span around, wildly searching for the ronin.

Nothing.

No sounds.

Only the gentle lapping at the shore line and a few bird calls. Where the hell WAS he?!?

"Stop playing and fight like a man!" Sekhmet screamed out his challenge.

"But I haven't *finished* playing with you yet." The calm voice said from behind him. The warlord spun to find the teen standing right there, hand open at his face.

Sekhmet didn't have time to think before the air rippled in front of him again and he was knocked backwards in an explosion.

***  
Rowan watched from behind a tree as Sai faced the Warlord of Venom. He was about to jump to full armor when it occurred to him that Sai was not in armor. In fact he was only wearing casual clothes. This struck him as very odd, especially since the Warlord was in full armor and was trying his damnedest to run Sai through. Or slash him open. Or just nick him in any way. Fortunately Sai was very skilled in acrobatics and dodged every strike. It was a strange scene. From the way things looked, Rowan expected to hear laughter coming from Sai, but instead there was only cries of frustration from the warlord when ever he failed to make contact.

Finally the Warlord paused in his attack, breathing heavily and quite obviously exhausted. Sai stood calmly, only a few meters away, hands in his pockets.

Then came something that was completely unexpected to Rowan... The Warlord gathered his strength and made one final attack, sword raised above his head with a cry. Sai just stood there as the sword swung down with the power to cleave a person neatly in two without them realizing it, only to have it and the warlord thrown back to the earth. Hard. The snake-sword slammed into the base of a tree, vibrating. Sai yawned in a bored manner, covering his mouth with his hand. The warlord lay gasping, struggling to sit up as Sai took his time to approach. Then the air around Sai shimmered and swirled, starting at his feet and running up his body like living water. It was like the air had opened up and swallowed Sai whole. But then he appeared again beside the warlord, towering over him. Sai said something to the warlord, who tried to scramble back away from him. Then the warlord began to scream. Rowan had never heard anything like it. Pure primal fear. Sai's hand was glowing a faint blue. Then the blue began to expand. As Rowan watched, a ball of clear-blue grew out of Sai's hand. Growing bigger and bigger. All the while the warlord writhed around on the ground screaming. As the ball of clear-blue grew larger, the warlord's cries began to lessen. When the ball was about the size of a basket ball, it stopped growing, and the warlord fell back totally silent and unmoving. Sai lifted the ball with both hands to his lips and closed his eyes. Rowan's eyes widened when he swore he saw that Sai was sucking the clear-blueness inside him. Like he was drinking through a straw. The ball shrunk too until it was gone. Sai just stood there for a few moments, eyes still closed, hands still open like he was holding the ball. Then slowly he let his hands fall and his attention fell back to the warlord at his feet.

Rowan didn't know if he should run back to the house in a fit of screams (think the 'Home Alone' run), or go up to Sai and pat him on the back.

THINKS:

HE: Gee Sai, I saw you take down that warlord with out laying a finger on him! Wow! That was great! By the way, what was that blue ball you were holding, and was it my imagination or what, but did you really...I don't know... SWALLOW it?

SAI: Yep! I sure did! I just sucked the life (or what ever it really was) out of him, and now I'm going to do the same to you! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!!

/Naah.../ Rowan shook his head, and stepped forward, hopefully quietly.

"Hello Rowan." Came that soft British voice, with out Sai even looking up at him. "I was wondering when you would step out of those shadows."

Rowan waited until he was beside his friend before he bent over to examine the fallen warlord. Sekhmet's green hair was flung around wildly, and his eyes were tightly closed. His armor was glowing slightly, showing that he was injured. He was breathing heavily, but he was BREATHING. He also appeared to be a whole lot smaller than Rowan remembered. May have been that he never saw a fallen warlord up close before, but he was sure that the pale skin seemed to have a... shrunken appearance? He turned to look at the sword that was still buried to the hilt in the base of a tree, then he turned back to Sai, who was watching him with an empty expression. He decided not to say anything about what he saw. Rowan took a deep breath and smiled. "Yep! That's a Warlord all right! Just wait until Ryo hears about this!" Sai flinched when he heard Ryo's name. Rowan slapped Sai on the back. "Any reason why he's still alive though? I mean I know he's unconscious, but..."

Sai turned away from him, and in a small voice said: "Ryo said that he wanted one alive for questioning. And what ever Ryo want's Ryo gets."

/Riiiight./ Rowan thought. /No grudges still evident here./ "How long will he stay unconscious, do you think?"

"Until I decide that he can wake up." Came the reply. "Or he dies." There was an awkward silence for a few moments, then Sai suddenly beamed at him. "Help me take him back?" He pleaded at Rowan with those puppy-dog eyes.

Rowan inwardly groaned, then agreed.

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

The characters used do not belong to me. I haven't seen the show, so I'm writing from what I know from the other fanfictions and my own imagination. Comments and constructive critisism welcome however any flames will be vigorously laughed at. Sorry this has taken so long to write, but inspiration has been slow.

Not only that, but I only recently discovered this again on my computer and just HAD to post it! Enjoy.

April 2002

Purified Water  
Part 8

\--

Ryo was going to kill him! He was going to wrap his hands around that british bastard's scrawny throat and strangle him! He could feel the anger starting to make heat waves rise from his body already. Would he set off the fire alarm again? Frankly he didn't care. He leaned on the kitchen bench, peeking between the curtains and watched Sai and Rowan dragging the body of a Warlord towards their house. The little bastard! He went and did it on purpose, in spite of what Ryo had said. Ryo was most definitely going to kick his skinny little ass from here to next monday.

"What you glaring at?" Kento sidled up behind him, looking over his shoulder to see. Kento made a surprised sound when he realised just what it was he was seeing. "Well look at that! I wonder how they did that? Do you think he's dead?"

"I. Don't. Care." Ryo ground out through clenched teeth. "But I know a certain fish lover who's going to wish HE was dead by the time I'm finished with him."

"Be careful, Ryo." Came Seiji's voice from the base of the stairs. Ryo and Kento turned to him as he approached. He reached the kitchen and drew back a curtain to look out as well. "Some thing has happened to Sai. He's a lot stronger now than he has ever been. I don't know what exactly, but... it does worry me." To hear Seiji confirm his own earlier thoughts made Ryo frown.

"Hey guys! Come out here!" Rowan called to them as he and Sai reached the varranda. The three of them exchanged glances and then complied. Rowan and Sai dumped the warlord on the ground by the steps. By this time the armor had left the warlord, leaving him in his green komono.

"That's Sekhmet." Seiji identified him with surprise.

"What happened? Sai." Ryo said sternly, crossing his arms across his chest, his eyes narrow. Sai met Ryo's glare easily, with his now normal bland expression.

"He attacked me while I was at the lake. I defended myself, and in doing so I defeated him. Rowan helped me carry him back here for you to question at your lesure." He shrugged like it was all nothing. Like it was every day that he totally stomped all over a warlord. Ryo exchanged looks with Rowan, who gave a quick nod to back up Sai's story.

"He's alive?" Kento spoke up, pressing forward to have a closer look at the warlord. "Why's he look like a shriveled prune?"

Sai smiled his slight smile up at Ryo. "The lack of water does that to a person." That was not something Ryo wanted to hear. Not in that tone of voice. Not directed at him. He resisted the urge to take a step back from fright, or a step forward in anger. Seiji's hand on his back helped. Ryo swallowed nervously, then growled at himself.

"Where are we gonna keep an unconscious warlord?" Rowan implored to Ryo. His eyes slid over to Sai's direction then back to Ryo. "What are we gonna do when he wakes up?"

/Very good questions./ Ryo thought to himself. /Ah, the perfect pay back./ "How about..." Ryo said slowly, feeling like the clever fox. "since Sai caught him, Sai get's to keep him in his room?" However he did not expect Sai's slight smile to grow quite so alarmingly as it did.

"Of course." Sai grinned, and bowed his head in what Ryo thought was a mock show of respect. Ryo didn't comment on it though, he just spun on his heal and stormed back inside.

\--  
Sai stood at the kitchen sink, his hand under the running water. On the stove a pot of soup large enough to feed all of them was sitting, the flame turned off. Sai took his hand out from under the water and examine the burn. He frowned slightly and consentraited. After a few seconds the burned skin began to heal until there was not even a scar left. He then leaned down to the tap to drink from it. Great big gulps. /I wonder what Ryo's reaction would be to me doing this/ He thought to himself. Then he changed his thoughts. /I don't care./ And then he realised that he didn't even care that he didn't care. Sai straitened and then turned to head up the stairs to his bed room.

Seiji and Kento were in there guarding Sekhemet. Seiji sitting in a chair by the window cradling his sword, and Kento on his own bed with his arms crossed and a sour expression on his face. He didn't really want to be stuck in the same room as the warlord. Both of them swung their heads around as Sai entered the room.

"What?" Kento asked shortly.

"Soups ready." Sai said quietly. Kento's dour mood immediately lifted.

"Really! Great!" Kento was up and running out the room. Sai did not move to stop him, but side stepped to allow him past.

"What's going on?" Came Rowan's voice from down the hall.

"Soup's ready!" Kento reaplied.

"FOOD!" Rowan again. The sound of running footsteps down the stairs reverberated back into Sai's room. A few minutes passed in the bedroom in silence. Seiji and Sai just looking at each other. Finally Sai spoke.

"Don't you want to eat too?" He asked quietly.

"Thank you, but not right now. " Seiji replied with carefully placed politeness.

Sai shrugged. "Hopefully there will be enough left for you then. You know how Kento is." Seiji nodded, but stayed where he was. Realizing that Seiji was not going to leave anything soon, Sai sat on the bed at Sekhemet's feet. After a few moments of Seiji sending a hawk's eye in his direction, Sai frowned at him. "What?"

"How did you do it?" Seiji leant forward.

"Do what?"

Seiji rolled his eyes in a very uncharactoristic mannor. "Every thing. You vanish for several days and then when you return you're suddenly stronger, more powerful, able to do things you could never do before-"

Sai burst out laughing, and it was Seiji's turn to say "What?"

Sai smiled his smile to Seiji. "Dear, dear, Seiji. Wielder of light." He stood and did a little twirl so that he was now standing at the head of the bed. "Don't you have any little secrets?" He bent down to Sekhemet's head, looking back at Seiji who had now raised from his spot with some alarm. Sai pouted at him. "Awww... No fun." He straitened. "I'm not about to hurt him," His expression went dark. "Not like he wanted to do to me." He searched Seiji's face. "He wanted to hurt me Seiji, I could feel it when we we fighting. I could taste it in the water in the air around him. He wanted to do bad things. Nasty things that no one should have done to them." A small blue ball appeared in Sai's hand, and he tossed it so that it landed on the warlord. Seiji was almost alarmed more, until he saw the prune-ness fade away, leaving a normal looking unconscious warlord behind. "If I wanted to kill him I would have." Sai walked up to Seiji until they were almost touching. Seiji took a step back, Sai was almost too close. "By the way," He whispered into the shell if Seiji's ear. "I could always do these things... I just... CHOSE not to." He stepped away from Seiji, winked, and was out the door. A slight giggle floating in the air behind him.

to be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

15/10/2007- 08/01/2008

I know this is short, but I wanted to get it up any way.

Purified Water

by Zuzanny

Part 09

Ryo watched Sai warily as the Englishman stood at the lake's edge staring out over the water. The sky painted red and gold as the sun set in front of them. Sai's head was tilted to the side, and his breathing mirrored the waves as they washed in and out against the shore.

Even though Ryo thought he had been silent, Sai lifted his head and turned to face him, waiting.

Of all the thoughts that went through Ryo's mind he really didn't want to say "Who are you really?" But he did.

And Sai smiled before stepping closer. "What ever do you mean, Ryo?"

Once more Ryo refused to take a step back, but his skin pimpled and his hair raised with tingles the closer Sai came. He took in a sharp breath between his teeth. "You can't be Sai. You're not Sai. Stop pretending and tell me what you've done with him!"

A ginger-brown eye brow raised with amusement, but Ryo was determined not to let this... impostor evade his question.

"Really, Ryo. What is your problem with me?" Sai chuckled darkly. "First I was too weak, now... Am I too strong for you? What are you worried about? That I would take your place as leader? No, that does not interest me. That I would kill you?" His lip twitched up slightly. "Well, yes, I could. But why would I bother? You really are too conceited. Life does not revolve around you." Then he turned to leave, dismissing Ryo with a wave of his hand as though he was a servant.

"DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!" Ryo yelled with fury at this gesture, his aura lighting up like flames. Sai ignored him, continuing walking towards the house. "FLAIR UP NOW!" Ryo called on his armor to send a wall of fire to cut Sai off. Sai paused to turn his head back, his eyes narrowing dangerously, flashing blue. Ryo gasped with shock as he felt his fire being smothered before it even moved a meter from him, the air around it turning to water. The fire screamed in Ryo's head in fear and denial as it was easily quenched. In less than two seconds, Ryo's potential forest fire was gone, not even singeing the grass. Ryo dropped to his hands and knees, his power drained.

The blue glimmered in Sai's eyes before he again turned away.

"Please," Ryo panted, head bowed. "We want our friend back."

There was silence. Ryo thought Sai had kept going, and his eyes glistened with bitter tears. But then Sai was kneeling beside him and patted his shoulder in a way that was supposed to be soothing. "There, there." Sai said. "There is no need to cry. Come on, chin up. You're a man, aren't you?" The words were there, but the tone held no sympathy, no compassion, no Sai behind them.

"How can I get Sai back?" Ryo clutched at Sai's shirt desperately. "What do you want? What will it take?"

Sai sighed deeply with long suffering. "Why do you insist on this? Why can't you accept that I am who I say I am?"

Ryo clutched harder. "Because Sai is not like you."

"Oh I see. He's weak and emotional, and-"

"No! Would you stop saying that!"

"I'm only repeating your own words."

"I know, and would you stop it. I said I was sorry. I don't know what else I can do to fix this. I want to fix this!"

"There is nothing to fix."

"BULLSHIT!" Ryo could feel the fire inside stirring up again, even if it were more cautious than before. More surprise came when he realised by Sai's expression he could feel it as well.

"I do hope you are not planning on fighting me." It was calmly said. Quiet, yet full of warning at the same time, and Ryo felt even his fire shrink back in fright. Sai tilted his head slightly. "Something interesting you may want to consider. The Earth's core is moltern lava. The outer surface is contained in rock, water, air, then space. Air can easily be converted into water, rock dissolved or cut in two, and fire... fire so EASILY quenched."

"Are... Are you threatening me?!"

Sai snorted. "I don't need to. It goes against my nature to attack for no reason."

"Then what did you do to Venom?!"

Sai rolled his eyes. "I defended my self. Must we go over all this again? I am really growing weary of such repetition."

Ryo stared at this Sai again. "That's another thing. Our Sai doesn't lie. You do."

Sai's eye's flashed blue and he shot to his feet, shoving Ryo down with enough force that the air was knocked from his lungs. "Water does NOT lie!" Icy wind then hit Ryo, making his skin prickle and teeth chatter. Looking up in the sky he saw the clouds gathering, darkening, and swirling, directly above Sai. Getting darker and darker with lightning starting to flash. Looking back at Sai, Ryo was startled by the glowing blue that filled all of Sai's eyes, and he felt real fear freezing his blood.

"You're never satisfied with anything I do." Sai hissed down at him. "Nothing is ever good enough for you. Well that is my reply to your stupid little question. Nothing." With that, the air around Sai swirled, turning to water, starting from his feet and traveling up his body. "You are not what interests me here." Sai said just before he was completely enveloped, and then vanished like dispersing steam.

Ryo blinked at the empty spot Sai had been occupying. "Holy shit." He breathed.

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

25/07/2009- 09/08/2009

Purified Water

by Zuzanny

 

part 10

As always, the sky in the neither realm was dark and swerling with an endless storm, The land was ruggered and cracked, littered with jaggared rocks and eroded chasms. There was an eery red glow low in the sky that cast the world into a strange kind of twilight, making the place visible, but all the shadows extended and deep. There was a well worn road leading to the gates of Talpa's castle, which towered high, massive and ominous. Armies of captured spirits were being sent out to guard and patrole the landscape.

It was in the air before the gates that something began to change, at first unnoticable to the normal eye. A small speck of glowing blue began to steadily grow, cutting a growing opening in the space, sending the guards on the walls above who did notice it into their defencive. The blue glow continued to grow, like water collecting on the end of a leaf until there was enough to make the drop fall, and suddenly a young man was standing there with his hands in his pockets and eyes with the blue glow slowly fading from them.

"NINGEN!" One of the guards shouted, pointing towards this intruder, and as one, the guards on the walls let out a deafening battle cry, fireing arrows down at him. The young man looked up at the incomming arrows with out concern, the glow in his eyes flashing back. All the incomming arrows froze mid flight before being flung back twice as hard back at their archers with a shockwave that turned to dust the walls they stood on. The soldiers fell, their dying Shrieks filled the air along with the dust that billowed out along the ground like a sandstorm. The youth just blinked, and began calmly walking through where the gate used to be, the rubble that was still falling avoiding the air around him.

"HALT!" A loud voice from the other side of the court yard commanded. One of the lesser warlords stood baring his way with a long black sword held defensively in both hands.

The youth obeyed, and raised one eye brown with nonchallance.

"Torrent." The warlord hissed with disbeliefe at the destruction of the outer wall of the palace as well as the dead soldiers still being revealed by the clearing dust. "State your business then die." the warlord ordered with a point of his sword.

The youth's stance didn't change from being relaxed and unconcerned appart from his head being tilted to the side slightly. "I have decided that enough is enough." Came the young man's voice from across the courtyard. "Tell Talpa that I have come to destroy him."

"You?" The warlord scoffed. You destroy our Lord? I never knew you had a suicide wish, whelp. Or are you stupid? I'll not bother my Lord with the likes of you." And with that the warlord rushed forward to attack.

The youth sighed, and raised an open palm in the approaching warlord's direction. Before the warlord had crossed the ground half way to where the youth stood, he was hit with an explosion of power that smashed him through the rockwall behind him. Once the rubble from that explosion cleared, the warlord could be seen lying in a tangle of limbs and rocks, blood splattering the cracked wall above him on the otherside of the corridore he was now lying in.

At the sound of armored feet running towards them, the youth turned his head to lock eyes with the latest warlord and his minions who skidded to a halt beside the crumpled one. They all also drew their weapons defensively, a mixture of katanas, scythes, and blades attatched to thick chains glinted in the twilight.

Sai slowly approached them, an eery smile on his lips and a blue glow in his eyes. He repeated, "Tell Talpa that I have come to destroy him..."

It was just after dark when Ryo, Sage, Kento and Rowen felt their armors flare with terror before silencing. As one they summoned their armors, each finding reliefe in the fact their armors still responded to their calls, and as directed by Ryo, each went to patrol their designated areas. On finding nothing out of the ordinary they returned back to their home, puzzling over what could have happened, and worrying why they had not heard from Sai. Rowan and Ryo soon left to search the grounds for him.

Sekhemet's eyes snapped open, his body flung bolt upright with a cry of terror. He shrieked again when he saw who was seated at his bedside, watching him with a slight smile on his lips. "You!" He struggled in the bedding, trying to scramble as far away from the auburn haired youth as possible.

"Me." Sai replied. "Rest well?"

"Get away from me you monster!" Sekhemet yelled, flinging his arms out. "Get away! Get away!"

That brought Sage and Kento running into the bedroom.

"Get him away from me!" Sekhemet screeched at them. "That's NOT Torrent! Get it away quick before it kills me!"

Sage and Kento stared with horror at Sai who mearly shrugged. "I just asked him if he had had a good rest."

"No you didn't!" Sekhemet accused. "I know what you did to Talpa! Torrent isn't able to do what you did to me, let alone what you did to my Lord. There is no way Talpa could be so easily defeated by Torrent. What are you?"

Sai snorted. "You are such an idiot."

"Sai?" Sage hesitently bridged.

Sai turned his head to the other Ronins, and flashed white teeth. "Of course Torrent can't defeat Talpa. It would be like trying to have one body part cut off it's own head. To even try would be rediculous." He paused. "Which is why I chose not to use the armor to do it. The dark lord is dead. Well and truly beyond resurection this time." Sai leaned back towards Sekhemet. "Think about that when you choose what you will do next." He then stood, walked between Sage and Kento out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Sage, Kento and Sekhemet stared after him in shock. Kento was the first to snap out of it, and rushed down the stairs after Sai.

"Wait,"

Sai slowed his decent and turned back, one eye brow raised in question.

"What do you mean Talpa's dead? Isn't he some kind of demon lord thingie? How is it possible?"

Sai tilted his head to the side, his eyes glinting slightly with irridescant blue. "I stopped relying on the armor." Was his simple reply before he continued his descent and wandered into the kitchen. Kento followed once more.

"What are you going to make?" Kento decided to ask as though there was nothing strange going on at all. Like it was any other food preparation time.

"Dinner." Sai replied while rummaging through the cupboards to pull out the large cooking pot in order to fill it with water. "I'm expecting the other former warlords to turn up any time now, and I want to show them that I can be a... benevolant dictator. I was thinking spaghetti bolignaise would be good. What do you think?"

"Bolignaise is good, but I preffer your chicken parmigaras myself." Kento replied before his brain had processed exactly what Sai had said. "Wait a minute, what did you say?"

"We havent got enough chicken to feed twelve or so people, but I'm pretty sure we have the pasta and the mince." Sai continued rummaging through the cupboards, pulling out packets of pasta and spices and handing them to Kento.

"What did you mean by being a benevolant dictator?" Kento received the goods Sai gave him, and placed them on the bench automatically.

Sai shifted to the refrigerator now, handing Kento tomatoes from the drawers and mince from the shelves. "I want to give them the chance to change their ways. I don't want to have to blast them out of existance if I don't have to. It get's messy after a few bodies."

It was so casually said that Kento wasn't sure if Sai was joking or not. He was so shocked by the whole conversation that he said "Gee, what happened to our sweet, innocent Sai that we all know and love?"

"Oh, he died." Again it was so casual. "I drowned him and possessed his body."

Kento choaked on his breath, coughing so hard that Sai had to wack him in the back a few times, and run him several glasses of water to gulp down. Sai watched him as he finished his last glass, and left it on the dirty side of the sink. "Sorry." Kento spluttered, not exactly sure what he was appologising for. "How about I help you cut up the tomatoes?"

"I was only joking." Sai said quietly.

"Of course you were." Kento said far too agreeably, laughing nervously as he reached for thecutting board and the biggest kitchen knife he could find as though he were going to help prepare the food and not like he was wanting to use them as a sword and shield.

"Why is it you would believe... that? Rather than... that this is who I am?"

Kento snorted, relaxed enough to really start chopping up the tomatoes. "Look, Sai. Or whoever. I'm going to be frank with you okay, so don't go throwing me around like you did with Seiji. The Sai we know is a piss-weak fairy who is only useful in the kitchen or around large bodies of water. There is no way he has any of the powers or even the attitudes you do."

Sai frowned into the pot he had lit a fire under.

"I don't want to offend you or nothin." Kento quickly said. "But seriously dude. You being Sai being possessed by some super-powered... super-being-thingie... is far more likely than you being Sai and suddenly sprouting powers like those. That's just the way it is."

"I... see..." Sai turned away from him.

"Not that I want Sai to be dead," Kento added. "So if you were joking about killing him that'd be ace. I suppose Sai would have to still be in there somewhere though, 'cause your cooking is still the best there is."

"Years of experience." Sai replied absently, stirring and adding handfulls of ingredients to the pot.

"So are you really some super-powered-being-thingie possessing Sai's body?"

Sai sighed. "No. No, I'm not."

"Oh." Kento seemed disapointed. "Nothing interesting ever happens around here anymore."

Sai... almost smiled at that. "Thank you." He said quietly.

Kento blinked. "Huh? What for?"

"For being you. For being honest. For reminding me of why I-" Sai broke off, looked into the distance, then shook his head. "it doesn't matter. Now is not the time. Our guests have arrived."

Kento looked out the kitchen window to the yard where Sai also looked, and saw the warlords materialising out on the grass.

To be continued...


End file.
